The Heat star had a February for the ages, becoming the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2003 to average 30 or more points and eight or more rebounds while shooting better than 57 percent from the field for an entire calendar month (a minimum of five games played). Toss in LeBron’s seven assists a game in February and only Wilt Chamberlain, in February of 1966 has had a wicked stretch of that sort.

That’s why LeBron going for a career-high 61 points in the Heat’s 124-107 home win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday ranks right up there among his greatest performances ever. He did it with a mask on, protecting his recently broken nose. He did it with Dwyane Wade resting in street clothes, as part of ongoing maintenance program. And he did it with work from all over the floor, including a career-high tying eight made 3-pointers.

He needed just 33 shots, 22 makes, to notch the 10th game of 50 or more points of his career and his first outing of 60 or more. He’s one of just five players to reach the 60-point plateau shooting better than 65 percent since the 1985-86 season — joining Carmelo Anthony from earlier this season, Shaq in 2000 and Tom Chambers and Karl Malone (both in 1990) as the only players to accomplish that feat.

Oh, and unlike high-scoring escapades by superstars in recent seasons (you know who you are, ‘Melo and Kobe Bryant), LeBron made sure to stick to his usual formula (he did have an assist or two … or five, to be exact) on his outlandish scoring night. The fact that he’s still rewriting his own history this deep into his career speaks volumes about the sort of competitor and player he is now and really has always been.

How many other guys can get 60-plus points without it becoming an absolute hysterical exercise from one basket to the next? If you watch the highlights, it looks just like any other night from LeBron … save, of course, for the 3-point storm he rained down on the Bobcats.

Who knew a Monday night game against the Bobcats would serve as one of LeBron’s finest moments?

Just so we’re clear about what kind of run he’s on right now, LeBron has scored 187 points on 68 percent shooting from the floor over his last five games. The last time someone did that in the NBA was when Michael Jordan did it November of 1988.

And that envy he spoke of regarding the January exploits of one Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder … well, if February and the early days of March are any indication, LeBron wears envy as well he does the black mask he wore in his comeback outing (a 31-point treat dropped on the New York Knicks last Thursday on TNT).

This stretch run and race for the MVP between LeBron and KD should also serve as the ideal appetizer to whatever they have in store for us come playoff time, too.

They were up by 20 at the end of three quarters. Them team basically left him in to pad his stats for the whole 4th quarter … against a team that had given up. I remember a game where Kobe scored 60 in only 3 quarter vs the Mavs. It was a blowout by then so he sat for the whole 4th. Lakers didn’t try to pad his stats. That is cheesy

Whole team took 24 shots…and he did 22.. Whats surprising/amazing in this for a players described as best player on the planet scoring 61 points first time in 11 year career.. I believe Al Jefferson’s performance( 38 points, & 19 rebounds) in same game is more impressive against Best defensive team and also defending champions with 3 superstars…

Great performance by the best NBA player. I have been a Heat fan since 2005 and a LeBron fan after he joined us, but since i heard his All-Star interview i was just amazed by him, he is a great person and the fact that he chases his dreams is awesome.

At this point KD and LBJ are tied for the MVP, KD had an amazing streak and he is going to win the scoring champion (again) and also Oklahoma are 1st in the West, LBJ is having as always a year with a clear impact in his team, and since he lost to OKC he has showed us his best including career highs and franchise records, the Heat are right now the best team in the NBA not counting the stats, they are playing the best, Miami is 2nd but with a 8 game-winning streak.

If you think about this KD have like 4 games this year better than that and probably would more if scott brooks would let him finish games when the game is over before the buzzer . People and espn just be riding that him like everyday

What happened to KD 30+ game streak? Got snapped because his team was winning and the coach sat him down. What happened to Melo when he broke Kobes record at the Garden he could went for 70 if the coach would of left him in the game. The only reason he made 61 was because coach sat him down with 1 minute and change left. Doesn’t anybody else see this???

Amazing efficiency, amazing night for LBJ. And still got into his all-around awesomeness as usual!
He is on a roll right now & the Heat too.

Anyway, to me KD is still the MVP at this point (and if I didn’t forget, he had himself 54 points – only 7 shy off LBJ’s own career record – on 19-28 FGA vs the Warriors while also having 4 rbds and 6 asts, also 2 stls & 1 blk)

Very nice to see those two guys on another stratosphere!!! They are both beasts.

MVP doesn’t mean best player but player who contributed the most to his teams success. Everybody expected the Thunder to crumble when Russel went down and Kevin Durant powered them through the adversity with ridiculous and efficient numbers. LeBrons HEAT were never at risk of having a season fall apart. That is why at this point I still think KD is very much more deserving if the MVP. On another note LeBron is an absolute beast. The efficiency is off the charts for this guy night in and night out. An animal that guy.

The most impressive thing about LeBron’s performance is the shooting percentage and number of shots taken rather than the number of points. Shaq and Wilt only dominated through their size and strength advantages (in Wilt’s case a huge size and strength advantage) and the competition in their position throughout the league was generally low throughout Wilt’s career and the second half of Shaq’s. Kobe has always had a must shoot on every possesssion mentality unlike LeBron who works hard for the team.

The most impressive thing about LeBron’s performance is the number of shots and the shooting percentage rather than the number of points. Some of the others mentioned in the article – Shaq and Wilt only dominanted because of their size and strength advantages (in Wilt’s case a huge size and strength advantage) and the level of competition in their positions throughout the league at the time was low. Kobe has spent most of his career with an I must shoot on every possession mentality rather than working hard for his team like LeBron does.

That’s just ridiculously wrong; there were plenty of top tier centers in Shaqs day at least. And Lebron fans constantly brag about how he is bigger and stronger than other small forwards. It’s a big contributor to how he gets so many good looks right at the cup.

I have hated on LeBron in the past… I didn’t like him leaving Cleveland, I didn’t like how he handled himself in the media, I didn’t like the Heat…

But from this night forth, I forgive him all that in the grand scheme of things… and LeBron vs. the haters, LeBron won.

By proving himself a true baller with performances like this and the performances he’s been having all year long. He didn’t have to be so great this year, he could have coasted to the playoffs… This is about pride and loving the game and putting on a show for the fans and hard working paying off.

So, I feel the real LeBron has finally arrived, the picture is becoming clearer… he is up there on my Mt. Rushmores… with the Kobes, Shaqs, Iversons, Barkleys, Jordans, Magics, Birds, Olajuwons and Dr. J’s… all hail The King.

Durant will get the MVP I think, just because voters are tired of giving it to lebron, but if durant wins it, its deserved atleast, both durant and lebron are playing great basketball, very fun to watch,

as a wise woman once said..he’s simply the best….better than all the rest. Lebron is on a different planet not to the current NBA but all previous players too, he is a legitimate contender for GOAT (that’s right MJ fans) and if he keeps this up for the rest of the year he’ll have a 5th MVP.I say rest of the year because you can’t discredit KDs outstanding season so far for one super month.

Stop hating Bynum while don’t you go do what your good at… which is eat up cap space while sitting on bench making up new excuses why you can’t play then mess up team chemistry in locker room.

At least you will go down in history as one of the most toxic locker room guys ever. They will say ” so much potential wasted” … hater those guys had obvious size and match up advantages and didn’t shoot a lot of jumpers like Lebron

This was an amazing unforgettable moment in sports history, something that fans and players of any team should be able to appreciate… but clearly there are still some butt hurt haters out there that will not except this greatness for what it truly is.. its a shame because this was absolutely incredible efficiency!!
I’m just a general fan of this amazing game and NBA league since a childhood, always liked or followed many different teams over the years, the only other player I’ve watched as transcendent as Jordan is no doubt LeBron. And amazingly this man still has a lot more history to write!

I know, right. I hope the NBA, with a new commish now, creates a new award. MVP just because of what the award name is, means it can go to Kevin Durant, or Paul George. Now with a MOP (Most Outstanding Player) award… well you know it does not have to be someone that helped his team the most, but which player was the Best of them all.

fake miami fans should go back to their original favorite teams. i am not a miami heat fan but i respect James. James earned it, so fake miami fans, go back to your teams that you like, not cheer the team when they are only winning.

The race for MVP has just get more hot. Doesn’t Lebron Jame, the four time MVP and the most legitime represent of the game of basketball of the decenny, deserve a fith League MVP? Even haters are welcome to answer, please…

LBJ and KD tight for MVP.
You can make legitimate cases for both.
It will go down to the final game, best record, and next result between Miami and OKC.
Who ever wins two out of these three will get the MVP.
Mark my Word.